In recognition of the music legend’s birthday, the 29-year-old actor shared a picture of himself in character as Elton, with the iconic glasses and a pair of gold hot pants, as well as a matching gold jacket.

He wrote: “Happy Birthday, Elton John. You are just about the most extraordinary person I’ve ever met. In honour of your birthday, here’s a photo of me (as you) in some hot pants.”

It’s fair to say the image gave Egerton’s fans an eyeful, with one user commenting that “thick thighs save lives” and another saying “this is a crime against my ovaries”.

British actress Amber Doig-thorne wrote: “A man should not look that good in hot pants.”

An excited fan said they were rendered “speechless” by the picture, while another joked the star was wearing “nice socks”.